18 September recipes

They shared their favourite things to cook with in September and what to look out for when choosing seafood this month, which is the inspiration for these recipes. Their popular cookbook, Prawn on the Lawn: Fish and Seafood to Share (£18.99, Pavilion) is being reissued this year.

After, check out our best October recipes, November recipes and December recipes.

Apples

There are more than 2,500 varieties of apple, ranging from extremely tart and perfect for cooking, to floral, crisp, red, yellow and green. Look for UK-grown fruits and make the most of them when they’re just picked, from late September through to November. When buying, look for firm fruit with unblemished skin.

Toffee apple crumble

Think classic, comforting crumble, only taken up a few notches with crunchy hazelnut and a coating of rich caramel over the soft chunks of apple.

Pork, cider and apple casserole

You can cut up a piece of pork shoulder for this or use pork shoulder steaks. Dry cider cuts through the richness and gives a lovely light, creamy sauce.

Plums

A seasonal stone fruit, plums come in many different flavours and colours. When looking for ripeness, give them a gentle squeeze – they should have a little give and not be too hard.

Plum and pistachio frangipane tart

Squidgy plums and crunchy pistachios are a match made in heaven in this impressive tart. Use a shop-bought block of shortcrust pastry if you don't fancy making your own.

Sticky plum and earl grey ribs with plum and sesame salad

Make the most of seasonal plums by creating this rich plum sauce spiced with ginger, cinnamon, star and allspice to coat your dry-rubbed ribs.

Plum, ginger and sake granita

Whip up a refreshing treat with this twist on a traditional Italian granita flavoured with plum, ginger and sake.

Pears

There are thousands of pear varieties but the most commonly found ones are Conference, Comice, Red William and Concorde. When buying, look for pears that have a little give at the top or bottom – they ripen from the inside out – and avoid any with bruising or mushiness.

Calvados-poached pears with cardamom custard and sesame brittle

Make a calvados and perry syrup to poach pears in and serve with sweet-savoury sesame brittle and lashings of silky cardamom-infused custard for a stylish autumnal pud.

Figs

Originating in Asia but grown across the Mediterranean, these fruits are plump and deeply sweet. They’re very delicate so, when buying, look for unblemished skin and an oval shape.

Fig cake

Mix soft, squidgy fig halves with sugar and marsala then bake them into a vanilla and almond sponge for a cake that's perfect alongside a cuppa.

Fig cookies

These pretty oat cookies, topped with fanned-out fig slices, are easy to make and only take 25 minutes to whip up – ideal for feeding last-minute visitors.

Red mullet

“Easily our favourite fish when caught fresh, and this is the key to buying sustainably. The scales should be intact, with a bright red colour. This will indicate that the fish has been caught within a day or two, which proves freshness and that it has been caught by a smaller day boat. Gillnetted or otter-trawled fish are the best option – try to avoid beam-trawled fish.”

Red mullet with romesco potato salad

Celebrate red mullet in this easy dinner idea – the fish has a firm texture, ideal for pan-frying. Swap mayonnaise for zingy romesco sauce for a spin on the classic potato salad.

Brown crab

Crabs are at their best late spring to early autumn, and they thrive in the cold waters around the UK. Most commonly eaten in the UK is the brown crab – its subtle, sweet white meat is perfect fried into crab cakes, stirred into salads or spooned over toast. Don’t forget the brown meat, too – stir into mayonnaise for a rich dip for crab cakes, or into a pasta sauce with wine, tomatoes, olive oil and garlic.

Crab is a really sustainable seafood as long as you buy from a day boat. This ensures the most sustainable product, as nature dictates when the fisherman can catch them. As a day boat is much smaller, it can only lay a relatively small amount of pots to catch the crabs and, in bad weather, they are unable to go to sea, resulting in less crabs caught across the year. All over the world, our crab is prized as the best, so don’t miss out, boil one up and get cracking.

Classic crab cakes with brown crab tartare sauce

Rich brown crab tartare sauce pairs perfectly with delicate white crabmeat in this classic starter idea.

Coconut crab rice

Delicate white crab meat is uplifted with fresh, zingy Thai flavours. If you’re using a large tin of coconut milk, freeze the leftovers for another time.

Sardines

“Sardines are a fantastic fish, as they’re both sustainable and healthy. Look for sardines that are caught in an MSC-approved fishery, such as Cornwall. This ensures that you’re buying sardines that are being specifically targeted, rather than as a by-catch from fishing for other mixed species with a trawler. The reason this is more sustainable is that it means larger species aren’t generally caught by the two-man crew on a day boat, as they specifically target schools of sardines.”

Grilled sardines with heirloom tomato salad

Serve grilled sardines with a vibrant side salad of sweet heirloom tomatoes, crushed almonds and sherry vinegar.

Squid

“Squid is a fantastic species to eat and far more versatile than simply frying in batter or breadcrumbs. It’s worth waiting for the late summer/autumn period to get the freshly caught ‘jigged’ squid. This is the method of catching – effectively line-caught – that minimises overfishing and ensures the best-quality squid, as it doesn’t get damaged as it does with trawling, where it can often be quite sandy. Cook hard and fast, or low and slow.”

Salt and pepper squid

Celebrate squid in this punchy starter recipe. The mix of Sichuan and black peppercorns gives a tingly spiciness and kick of heat.

Squid stew

This easy fish stew recipes comes from the Prawn on the Lawn. Tender squid is paired with creamy butter beans – serve with crusty bread for a hearty one-pot dinner.

Tempura squid with ponzu dipping sauce

Prawn on the Lawn's crispy tempura squid is best served with a soy sauce dip for a moreish snack.

Shallots

Shallots are milder and sweeter than onions but are harder to peel. To make it easier, soak them in hot water for 5 minutes before using a small, sharp knife to remove the skin.

Homemade chilli crisp

Use September seasonal sweet shallots in this homemade chilli crisp to elevate your stir fries and barbecued meats.

Sweetcorn

A BBQ staple, it’s hard to beat a freshly grilled corn on the cob. Boiling is easy, too, just be sure to thoroughly shuck the cobs by removing the stringy husks on the outside. It can get messy, so doing it over a bin is best.

Sweetcorn soup

Check out this zingy and aromatic corn soup, flavoured with lemongrass, coconut, chilli, lime and coriander.

Grilled corn salad with tahini miso dressing

The sweet cherry tomatoes in this salad compliment the charred griddled corn. Enjoy topped with crumbled feta and dress with tahini, miso and maple dressing.